When gamers log in to their favourite video games, they immerse themselves in fictional landscapes and eccentric surroundings crammed with legendary characters, however creating that world begins with manufacturing professionals like graduating senior Danie Grey.
The Cal State Fullerton Class of 2023 graduate works as a manufacturing assistant at Obsidian Leisure, a well-liked gaming firm identified for such titles as “The OuterWorlds” and “Star Wars: Knights of the Outdated Republic II – The Sith Lords.”
With a ardour for vibrant storytelling and immersive world-building, Grey will graduate with a B.F.A. in laptop animation and recreation artwork earlier than persevering with her profession at Obsidian Leisure the place she helps the manufacturing workforce observe recreation belongings to create the worlds that gamers love.
“In relation to animation, each piece and each aspect of a narrative impacts me. I respect the method and all of the transferring elements. It evokes me, and I wish to be part of it,” stated Grey.
Getting Into Gaming
The mother of two younger youngsters, Grey first joined Obsidian Leisure as a manufacturing intern earlier than her final yr at CSUF. After six months working alongside one of many firm’s recreation administrators, they provided her a contract as a manufacturing assistant.
With a knack for visible storytelling and recreation creation, her function includes monitoring the assorted props and belongings that make up a recreation’s universe.
Utilizing a “roadmap” to make sure that the entire recreation belongings make it to the manufacturing workforce, Grey stated the job helped her understand how a lot she loves the manufacturing course of. Her purpose is to develop into a full-time member of the manufacturing workforce, particularly engaged on surroundings and prop modeling.
“I’m succeeding in a discipline that’s very intimidating and male-dominated, and I’m actually pleased with myself,” stated Grey.
Discovering Confidence By way of Creativity
It was the kids’s film “Trolls” that first sparked Grey’s curiosity in animation.
Not solely did she really feel moved by the storytelling, however she beloved how the animated designs created a enjoyable world for viewers. When she arrived at CSUF with that curiosity, she was shocked when considered one of her professors informed her that her ardour for 3D animation and character improvement could be greatest suited in gaming.
“I used to be nervous as a result of I didn’t know rather a lot about video games. Certain, I performed ‘Tremendous Mario Bros.’ and ‘Sonic’ once I was youthful, however I needed to be clear about my expertise. I didn’t have rather a lot,” defined Grey.
After speaking with professors who inspired her to pursue this avenue of research, she utilized to the pc animation and recreation artwork focus, and inside the first couple months, she was constructing the portfolio that landed her an internship at Obsidian.
“This system opened my eyes to profession alternatives that I didn’t know have been out there to me.”
Along with her creative endeavors, Grey was concerned in scholar organizations, serving because the social media coordinator for the Polysquad membership and occasion coordinator for CSUF’s chapter of the Affiliation for Computing Equipment’s Particular Curiosity Group on Pc Graphics and Interactive Strategies (ACM SIGGRAPH).
“Danie is a superb artist and in addition a superb chief. I’ve seen her carry collectively many several types of artists to create some actually superb initiatives in my 3D group manufacturing class,” stated Andrew Fedak, affiliate professor of artwork. “It’s no marvel that Obsidian picked her up so shortly.”
Though Grey is grateful for the experiences these organizations supplied her, she stated the extra vital consequence of her work as a campus chief has been the way it helped her discover a residence at CSUF — one thing that she feared wouldn’t occur when she returned to high school as a scholar mother or father virtually 15 years after she graduated from highschool.
“I used to be actually scared as a result of I used to be a mother or father, and I used to be from a unique era,” she shared. “I really feel much more assured as we speak. Being concerned with golf equipment and getting to speak to extra college students, I’ve had the chance to place myself on the market and succeed on this discipline.”
